film analysis paper

Film Analysis Paper:
The largest writing assignment for this course is a film analysis paper that applies
principles from social psychology to events depicted in a film of your choosing. The
objective will be to select a few scenes from the film and discuss how those scenes
illustrate principles from the field. The paper should be written in APA style, and should
follow this general format:
(1) Title page (p. 1)
(2) Abstract page (p. 2)
(3) Main body (pp. 3-???)
(4) Reference page (begins on separate page after conclusion of main body)
The main body should open with a paragraph (or two) that describes the film you selected
(basic storyline, main characters, etc.). The remainder of the main body should consist of
a series of alternating paragraphs – one describing a scene, the next applying research
principles to that scene (then another scene description, then the application of principles
to that scene, and so on…).
The film you select for this paper is entirely up to you – as social psychology is the
“psychology of everyday life,” its principles can be found in a seemingly endless number
of films. However, if you’d like a little help getting started, here are a few suggestions
that have worked well in the past:
5
American History X – stereotyping and prejudice, social identity, persuasion
The Avengers – aggression, persuasion, attribution theory
Crash – stereotyping and prejudice, aggression
Fight Club – aggression, social identity, persuasion
The Hunger Games – persuasion, conformity, altruism, aggression
Legally Blonde – attribution, stereotyping and prejudice, social comparison
Mean Girls – conformity, social roles, persuasion, leadership
Remember the Titans – stereotyping and prejudice (especially prejudice reduction)
When Harry Met Sally – interpersonal attraction, close relationships
Zootopia – social learning, self-presentation, persuasion, aggression
The film analysis paper must be double-spaced. The main body of your paper (i.e.,
excluding the title page, abstract page, and references) should be between 1500 and 2000
words in length. And please remember – grammar and spelling count! Just like the
thought papers and response papers, film analysis papers with mistakes in these areas will
DEFINITELY lose points.